An end of a legacy and a new one in the making

I did not sign up for the opening ceremony of the new Kent Ridge NUSS Guild House, which was also an occasion to listen to LKY in person. Neither did I read his speech in the media except glancing over a few key points. Nothing unusual actually. But in a bigger perspective it marks a change and a new beginning. LKY has created a legacy for what he has done to this little island. He used to hold his audience in awe when he spoke. Two generations of Singaporeans grown up under this spell. Even foreigners looked forward to hear him speak. After last Friday, that chapter was closed. Somehow, though he came through on the TV as still very forceful and lucid, he looked like a man out of time and out of place. LKY did not say anything new. He reiterated old values that have been flogged over the years. Saying those things to wide eyed and young eager beavers may make some sense. I am just wondering how many people were with him when he said those things, or how many were just twiddling their thumbs and rolling their eyeballs at the new meanings of those values and virtues. As what the elites are for the past years, they will listen and just shut up. If there were anything they want to say you will know hear them unless one is in their circle of confidante. The views in cyberspace were more robust and direct. And the views expressed, if they are anything to come by, is an indication of an old legacy forgotten and a new one in the making.

Hospital fees, legal fees and insurance premiums

The combination of these three elements in one go is the best we can get to emulate the great American society. We have arrived, in a way, like the Americans. And soon what is happening to AIG and the strong detest of the way they paid themselves will affect the people here. The AIG executives are living in fear of the brickbats that are coming their way. How long can they go on ripping the people off? The Americans are up in arms. And with the availability of firearms, do not be surprised if a few of them will be shot for crimes against the American public. The American society is plagued by huge hospital fees, huge legal fees and huge insurance premiums. And the way things are, we are heading into the same quagmire. The beauty of it is that we know exactly what it is going to be and we believe that this is the solution for a rich country like ours, like the Americans. Just pay your way through. No money no talk. How could the medical bill for a student suffering from leukemia reached $400K? Sure, you can count every item in the whole process, from ward charges to medicine and professional fees. So it is justifiable to charge that kind of inhuman fees? Totally transparent and accountable. This was the bill for Zhang Xiaoou that was highlighted in the Sunday Times today. How many people can afford this kind of money? Even $20k is a big problem to many. Then the whole process, in the case of car insurance and claims for damages and injury involving legal fees, my goodness, we have progressed as a nation, as a people beyond any means. Everyone is getting rich in the whole process without asking anything about the conscience of making money. Just find the reason, right or wrong, legal or illegal, and make the other party pays. And finally the innocent motorists will be the ultimate paymaster. And this is a free market economy. Nothing can be done. Everyone is paying market price for everything. It is the way and it should be.

A team of rivals

This was the main theme of an article by ST’s China Bureau Chief, Peh Shing Huei on Saturday. He was referring to the Obama Administration which is made up of both the Democrats and Republicans, some from the George Bush Administration. This rival mix in politics is gaining popularity out of necessity and expediency. China has started this trend after Deng Xiaoping’s successors took over the leadership. The current Thai govt is also a gathering of a mixed bag of politicians. And so is the State Governments in Malaysia. In fact UMNO is also an alliance of convenience among the communal parties. Singapore’s history also took off with a team of rivals, the left wing Barisan Socialis and the right wing or socialist PAP. But the marriage of convenience was shortlived and the Barisan Socialis MPs were either imprisoned or fled the country. I wanted to ask if such a marriage of convenience is possible or workable for the long term good of the component members and the country today. The answer is quite obvious. It cannot be and will only lead to one party swallowing the other or running down the weaker party. Politics has never been a pleasant tea party of friends but of vicious politicians trying to out manouvre each other with the winner takes all before the party is over. It was never meant to be a game for ladies and gentlemen but for schemers and cunningness to fix up or destroy the enemy at all cost. Have things changed? Has the world changed or the people changed to such an extent that the thought of partying with the rivals is now relevant and a necessity? Would we see the different political parties coming together after a general election as national leaders sitting in Parliament to agree and also to disagree without trying to take a swipe at each other at every opportunity? Looking at the ethics and temperaments of politicians, we are still a long way off. We may be emulating the Americans in many things. But the new trend of embracing rival politicians like what Obama is doing is the furthest thing that will be copied here. The medieval rules of the survival of the ruthless, and the destruction of every opponent in the way, will still be the political ethos and morality of politics here. Am I wrong?

Eunice Chew Li Xin

Another pathetic story of a 14 year old girl who died unnecessarily in this very unforgiving city state when you can't go on living without money. According to the story in AsiaOne online, her mother was so broke that she had not eaten for a few days. This 14 year old girl had to work in fast food outlets to buy food for the jobless mother who is also having medical problem. Her parents were divorced. And Eunice was stabbed to death by her mother, probably in a state of despair after days of hunger pangs. No matter how wide is the safety net, as long as the cost of living is high, there will be many that will not be discovered and will continue to live in a life of drudgery. Wonder if they qualify or were on public assistance programme. In a country that is so kind and compassionate to the losers in life, we need not do anything to be cruel.

The AIG fallout

The stubborn persistence to be paid huge bonuses even when the company was going bust and needing US$185 billion in public money to keep it afloat is the height of plain stupidity and abusive arrogance. The House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel called it 'Near criminal indulgence.' The Americans were outraged. But will the expectation of high and exorbitant pay and bonuses continues to be the way of life or will they see the end of an era of robbers and thieves? Paul Heng, the MD of NeXT Career Counsulting here thought that it could be the beginning of the end of big, fat, obscene bonuses. Singapore is not free from such near criminal indulgence. We have been blindly and greedily following the Wall Street thieves in their daylight robbery and extortion of public money or shareholders money. And the best part is that we are proclaiming that our pay is still too low, not enough, they needed to be pay more. How much more? How much is enough? When an employee can throw away $50k for a cooking course, you cannot be so blind not to know that he is obviously being paid too much that he can't wait to burn it away. As a public policy, it is of great importance to pay the employees well, especially the talented, for them to live well and contribute well to society and country. But when paying well becomes excessively well, something must be gravely wrong. Then there are other consequences in the formula. High pay, high consumption, high cost of living, high cost of everything that needs higher pay is like a dog chasing its own tail. The workers are working just to keep paying for their food and essentials. At the lower end, the high cost of living is just that. No money left for anything, not even for retirement. And forget about an expensive cooking class. The govt has a very important responsibility to grapple with high cost and high pay controversy. What it should least do is to add to it and make this vicious cycle turn even wilder. The workers can never earn enough when other agencies are all waiting, counting how much they have in their pockets and CPF, and price their products and services to make sure that every cent is taken away from them. This is called affordability pricing or market pricing. A way to make sure that what you earn is just enough for them to take away. Many still cannot see the woods from the forest and think all these high property prices and high pay is a good thing. So the high HDB price, the high medical fees, education, etc are all affordable and good. The high rentals that the landlords are charging the shops and businesses are paid by the consumers, every cent of it. What is important is to curb the growing cost that often is unncessary and self inflicted. When cost is lower, the people can live more comfortably with lesser pay. The value of money is not eroded away that fast. Otherwise the money in the CPF, even a few hundred thousands, may worth nothing when it is time to take them out. And if the cost of 2 or 3 bungalows continues to go up, the public employees will demand that they are not paid enough and want to be paid in 10 or 20 millions. Hold the madness. Stop the dog from chasing its tail. It is never ending. It is unrestrained greed. The best part, the balloon must burst one day.